This is a merovingian style composite shortsword based on the superb pattern welded pieces built in seventh to tenth century Scandinavia. The original blades would have taken as much as three hundred hours to forge and are some of the finest examples of the bladesmiths art found in history. The crafts of the era are typified by vigorous, robust work that I have tried to replicate the spirit of. Work was of great sophistication while still maintaining a strong emphasis on the practical. This sword is not of a jewelry type finish, nor is it intended to be. It would have been owned by a wealthy man, however it is built to be used hard as well.

The sword blades of the period would have been constructed either from iron produced in any of the rich deposits of bog ore known to have been worked in Scandinavia during this time or from imported material, especially in the later period of their construction. This piece was built using W2 ~ 203E~, primarily for heightened alloy contrast when etched, and their superior combination of strength, hardness, ~ toughness when correctly heat treated. Modern equivalents of "bog ore" based iron are available but are compromises at best and do not perform nearly as well as modern tool steels.

This blade is built up from five bars of laminate. The core uses four bars of seven layers each, two twisted clockwise, two anticlockwise that when forge welded together produce the broad chevron pattern pointing, toward the tip. The edge is a 325 layer bar that was wrapped around the core and forge welded in place. A replication of the famous Sutton Hoo blade was built using eight core bars twisted in an interrupted pattern but as this is my first composite blade I decided to keep the construction less complex.

The hilt is of period construction; composed of a sand cast brass guard and pommel ,pinned wood slats, with a brass wire wrapped-waxed leather grip

The Ice rune is a small cast 14 carat gold bar which was forged to shape, filed to fit the groove chiseled in the blade, then hammered permanently into place.

The scabbard is built of waxed leather because of its weather resistance and durability. I tried to maintain an appropriate look while hanging the sword more horizontally than was period to suit my personal preference.

Period blades would be heated in a charcoal fired forge, but I use a gas forge because of it's similarity in atmosphere (very clean fire) and convenience (I have a coal fired forge I rarely use). Most other fabrication techniques (sand casting, filing etc.)used are similar if not identical to period bladesmithing techniques.

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Bibliography

Robert Engstrom, Scott Michael Lankton, Audrey Lesher-Engstrom. A Modern Replication Based on the Pattern Welded Sword of Sutton Hoo, Medieval Institute Publications, Western Michigan University, 1989.

Jim Hrisoulas. The Complete Bladesmith, Paladin Press, Boulder Colorado, 1987.

Alex W. Bealer. The Art of Blacksmithing, Castle Books, 1969.

Oppi Untracht, Metal Techniques for Craftsmen, Doubleday & Company Inc., 1968.

Leo Figiel, On Damascus Steel, Atlantis:Atlantis Arts Press, 1991.

John Delmonte, Origins of Materials & Processes, Technomic Publishing Co., 1985.

A.V.B. Norman and Don Pottinger, English Weapons & Warfare 449-1660, Barnes & Noble Books, 1966.

Leonid Tarassuk and Claude Blair, The Complete Encyclopedia of Arms Weapons, Simon & Schuster, 1979.

Frederick Wilkinson, Arms and Armor, The Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited, 1978.

William Reid, Weapons Through The Ages, Crescent Books, 1976

Leon and Hiroko Kapp, Yoahindo Yoshihara, The Craft of the Japanese Sword, Tokyo:Kodansha Int. Lmtd, 1987.